When I go to visit my grandparents in the Domincan Republic, I usually only want to drink battidos which are fruit smoothies with milk or yogurt. On this trip though, maybe because it wasn’t as hot as it usually is, I switched to hot chocolates.
This morning we had a 5.5 earthquake just before breakfast which is pretty scary when you are on the 5th floor of an apartment building. But I also remember today because I had one of my all time favourite hot chocolates.
There were a few options at the supermarket and my aunt picked out Chocolate Cortes. It comes in blocks of solid chocolate. Grate the chocolate and then put it into a pot with some milk to heat up slowly. The magical touch though is the piece of fresh ginger my abuela (grandmother) puts in the pot with the milk. I had never thought of that. Here at home I always put cinnamon in my hot chocolates. Ginger adds such a nice flavour, a little bit of a soft kick.
I sipped my hot chocolate while on the balcony watching the little green parrots fly from tree to tree. The hot chocolate was followed by breakfast, fried green plantains, the best cheese in the world (made locally) and lots of fresh fruit. People visit the Dominican Republic for its beaches but really they should be visiting for its food.
Verdict: Definitely one of my all time favourite hot chocolates for many many reasons. Chocolate Cortes, Dominican Republic.
